Adjustable warehouse storage bins with ejectro mechanism



Apliifi 11, 1967 PARKS 3,313,449

ADJUSTABLE WAREHOUSE STORAGE BINS WITH EJECTOR MECHANISM Filed March 15,1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l oooo LODNCD oooo mwFco 0000 INVENTOR Lloyd ParksL. PARKS AM 3L 1%? ADJUSTABLE WAREHOUSE STORAGE BINS WITH EJECTORMECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1965 I NVEN TOR Lloyd ParksL. PARKS ADJUSTABLE WAREHOUSE STORAGE BINS WITH EJECTOR MECHANISM 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 15, 1965 Input IlO INVENTOR Lloyd ParksUnited States Patent P 3 313,449 ADJUSTABLE WAREHGUSE TORAGE EINS WITHEEECTOR MECHANISM Lioyd Farirs, 43% S. 35th t., Arlington County, Va.22207 Filed Mar. 15, I965, Ser. No. 439,871 4 Claims. (61. 221-6) Myinvention relates to a new type of bin for storing and dispensing unitsof stock or material commonly referred to as bin items, as distinguishedfrom material designated as bulk stock. In the conventional type ofequipment used for storing bin items, there is usually a series of opencompartments arranged both vertically and horizontally, which providestorage space for stock as required. The size of each compartment mayvary depending on the amount of storage space required for each itemstocked. Usually, the height of a number of individual compartmentssuperimposed one on the other is limited to the height which can bereached by a person when standing on the warehouse floor. Normally, thisheight is seven feet, which is the maximum height that can be reachedconveniently without the aid of some mechanical device. Generally, thebins are arranged in parallel rows with bin openings facing each other,with an aisle of varying width between each row to provide for operationof service trucks and personnel.

In many warehouses, the ceiling may be 10 to feet above the top ofconventional type bins. Normally, this space is not utilized, since itcannot be reached by warehouse personnel due to its height above thefloor of the warehouse. Such space is referred to as cube, since it hasthree dimensions. Since the cost of storage is generally based on thesquare footage of the floor area, the greater the utilization of thecube, the lower will be the net cost for storing bin type items.

One of the objects of my invention is to increase the storage capacityin warehouses for the type of items commonly referred to as bin items.This is accomplished by providing vertical storage compartments whereinbin items are stored, one unit on top of another, so that the storagecapacity of each compartment can be extended upward to the ceiling ofthe warehouse, thereby utilizing space which is unusable under thenormal method of storing bin items. This method of storage makes thestorage of reserve stock on a second balcony level convenient, sinceeach bin compartment is loaded from the top when it is necessary toreplenish stock in the compartments.

One of the prime objects of my invention is to provide a new and novelmechanical means for automatically ejecting units of stock stored in theseveral storage compartments onto a conveyor mechanism whereby suchstock can be transported to any desired point in the warehouse complex.In my invention, the ejection mechanism is activated by depressing anelectric switch. However, other means for activating the ejectionmechanism, such as punched cards or punched paper tape, are readilyadaptable to my invention and are, therefore, included within thepurview of this application.

A further object of my invention is to provide the means whereby thesize of each individual storage compartment can be varied in depth,width, and height, so as to accommodate the numerous sizes of cartonsrequired for packaging the bin items stored therein. This is highlyadvantageous since there are thousands of bin items, all varying insize, which would require innumerable compartments of different sizes inthe event the size of each compartment could not be varied to providethe size required for each size of bin item.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an automaticsignalling device which can be set at any pre- 3,313,4 3? Patented Apr.11, I967 determined point on each bin compartment to indicate when theamount of stock in the bin reaches the minimum level. A master controlboard connected by electrical circuit to each bin compartment is used inconjunction with the aforementioned signal device to call attention ofwarehouse attendants to the need to replenish stock in specific bins.

Other advantages which result from my invention are:

(1) An automatic count of the number of units of stock in each bincompartment, thereby simplifying and speeding up physical inventory ofstock on hand.

(2) Better utilization of floor space by use of automatic conveyorswhich eliminates the need for wide aisles now required in warehouses topermit the passage of hand-operated service trucks. This results inlower storage costs per item stocked, since a greater number of binitems can be stored in a given amount of space than can be stored underpresent methods in the same amount of space.

(3) Better protection of stock in storage from dust and pilferage, sinceeach individual bin compartment is almost completely enclosed.

(4) Savings in warehouse operating costs, since warehouse sectionscomprised of bin storage compartments contemplated by my invention willrequire very few lights and very little heat, because it generaily willbe unnecessary for warehouse personnel to be in such areas.

(5) Reduction in the number of personnel required to select stock forissue, since items will be selected by automatic methods andmechanically transported by conveyors to an assembly and packingstation.

I accomplish the several objects enumerated above by means of the novelelements and the combinations and arrangements thereof described belowand illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a series of several bin compartments;the overhead storage compartment from which stock is loaded into thebins; the auxiliary conveyor between the parallel rows of bin storagecompartments; the main conveyor used for transporting stock to theassembly point; and a section of the master control panel containingejection mechanism switches, conveyor switches, and replenishmentsignals.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of a typical bin compartment.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section on the line lof FIGURE 3, illustratingthe upper portion of a bin compartment.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 4, but illustrating thelower portion of the bin compartment with the ejection mechanism andmotor.

FIGURE 6 is a cutaway view of the ejection shaft and the manner in whichthe ejection carriage is assembled on the shaft. The automatic cutoffswitch which cuts the power to the motor after each ejection cycle iscompleted is also shown. This figure also shows the manner in which thesides of each bin compartment are assembled.

FIGURE 7 is a section taken along line 77 of FIG- URE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a schematic view of the ejection mechanism and theelectrical circuit used to effect ejection from a bin compartmentautomatically.

Referring to the drawings in which like characters and numerals ofreference refer to similar parts throughout the several views, theletter A in FIGURE 1 denotes an upstanding bin which comprises a seriesof vertical storage compartments ltl, each containing a number ofcartons of stock items or packages 12 superimposed one on the other. Thecompartments 16 are provided at the top with closures 14 which areopened for feeding stock items 12 into the open tops of the storagecompartments 10. The lowermost stock item 12 rests on the bottom orfioor 16 of the respective storage compartment in the position fromwhich it is automatically ejected from such compartment onto a travelingconveyor 18 when the electrical switch is depressed momentarily. Uponejection of stock item or package 12 out of the storage compartment 10,item 12a drops by gravity into the position vacated by stock item 12 andthe remaining superimposed stock items 12 drop correspondingly.

By reference to FIGURES 3 to 6 inclusive it will be seen that thepackage-dispensing apparatus comprises the upstanding elongated bin Awhich has a back wall 26 and a front wall 15. The bottom or fioor 16 iswithin and extends along the bin A and is spaced above the lower ends ofthe back and front walls 26 and 15 respectively. As shown in FIGURE 5,the floor 16 comprises a plurality of sections 17 arranged in end-to-endspaced aligned relation, the complemental ends 11 of adjacent sections17, FIGURE 7, having opposed grooves 19 formed therein. A firstverticallydisposed partition 22, FIGURE 3, is interposed within the binA so that it extends transversely of and between the ends of one of thefloor sections 17 with the forward side 13 contiguous to and spaced fromthe front wall 15, FIGURE 3, the rearward side 9 contiguous to the backwall 26, and the lower end spaced above the floor section 17, FIGURE 5.A second vertically-disposed partition 23, FIGURE 3, is interposedwithin the bin A so that it extends transversely of and between the endsof a fioor section 17 adjacent to said one floor section 17 with theforward side 13 contiguous to and spaced from the front wall 15, therearward side 9 contiguous to the back wall 26, and the lower end spacedabove the last-mentioned floor section 17.

A first means adjustably and fixedly-secures the first and secondpartitions 22 and 23 to the back wall 26. Specifically, a flange 25 isformed on the rearward sides 9 and 9 of each of the first and secondpartitions 22 and 23, and bolt and nut assemblies 27 slidably-supportedin slots 28, FIGURE 6, formed in the back wall 26, are fixedly-attachedto the flanges 25.

A third vertically-disposed partition 24, FIGURE 3, is interposedbetween the first and second partitions 22 and 23 so that it extendslongitudinally between the first and second partitions 22 and 23 and isparallel to and spaced from the back and front walls 26 and 15. Thepartition 24 embodies a pair of separable sections 31 havingcomplemental one end portions 29 overlapping and contacting each other,the separable sections 31 being movable relative to each other andtoward and away from the back wall 26 to thereby form with the first andsecond partitions 22 and 23 and the front wall 15 an upstanding bincompartment 10. It is to be noted that by shifting the separablesections of the partition 24 toward and away from the back wall 15 theresulting compartment may be decreased or increased.

A second means adjustably and fixedly-secures the separable sections 31to the first and second partitions 22 and 23. Specifically, a flange 33is formed on each of the other ends of the separable sections 31 of thethird partitions 24, and bolt and nut assemblies 35 slidably-supportedin slots 30, FIGURES 4 and 5, formed in the first and second partitions22 and 23 are fixedly-attached to the flanges 33.

A discharge opening 37 is formed in the front wall 15 adjacent to andspaced above the one and the adjacent floor sections 17, and a chute 39'is positioned exteriorly of the bin A and is cooperatively-mounted withrespect to the discharge opening 37.

It is to be noted that each of the complemental ends of the back andfront walls 26 and 15 are closed by an end wall 39 whose fiange 41 isfixedly-attached to the back wall 15 by means of a bolt and nut assembly47 and the front side 49 is fixedly-attached to the front wall 15 bymeans of an angle iron 51 which is secured to the forward side 49 of theend wall 39 and the front wall 15 by means of bolt and nut assemblies 53and 55. Only one of the end walls 39 of the bin A is specifically shownin FIGURE 3. However, this end bin compartment as is also the case ofthe opposite end bin compartment, includes the fixed end wall 39 and apartition of light construction and arrangement and attachment asabove-described with respect to either the first or second partitions 22and 23.

As shown in FIGURE 2, a restraining bar 59 is extended transverselyacross a discharge opening 37 of each of the bin compartments 19 at alocation such as to prevent the next package from jamming in the opening37.

FIGURE 4 shows the replenishment switch 32 which may be preset at anypoint on the vertical scale 34 located on the front of each bincompartment 10. This scale is depicted on FIGURES l and 2. The switch isconnected electrically with the signal light 36 on the control panel Bshown in FIGURE 1.

The switch 32 has a spring activated lever 38 which is held in adepressed or off position until the stock level in the bin falls belowthe level of the switch. When this occurs, the lever is released,thereby closing the electric circuit and causing the signal light 36 onthe control panel B to light up. This alerts warehouse personnel of theneed to replenish stock in the bin to the desired predetermined level.When this is accomplished, the spring activated lever 38 is againdepressed, thereby turning off the signal light 36 on the control panelB.

FIGURE 5 shows the motor 48 which activates the drive shaft 40 on whichis mounted the ejector 42 which moves forward, thereby causing a stockitem 12 to be ejected from the bin compartment 10. Upon reaching theforward end of the shaft 40, the moving ejector 42 reversesautomatically and moves to the back end of the shaft 49. On reaching themost backward position on the shaft 40, the projection 44 on the movingejector 42 depresses the microswitch 46 which causes the motor 48 tostop. At this point, the stock item 12a, which was superimposed on thestock item 12 prior to its ejection from the bin compartment 10, dropsinto position from which it is ejected from the bin compartment 10 onthe next cycle of ejector 42 which is started when the starting switch20 in the electrical circuit shown by FIGURE 8 is momentarily closed. Oncompletion of each ejection cycle, the ejection mechanism is againhalted when the projection 44 on the moving ejector 42 depresses themicroswitch 46.

As will be observed from FIGURES 5, 6 and 7, the ejector 42 includes astem 47' which projects upwardly between the one and the adjacent floorsections 17 of the floor 16 and below the lower end of the thirdpartition 24, the stem 47' being slidably-supported by means of opposedlugs 57 projecting laterally therefrom and seating in the opposedgrooves 19 of the adjacent floor sections 17. The ejector 42 is movablebetween a position behind the third partition 24 and a position adjacentthe discharge opening 37 to thereby shift the lowermost package or stockitem 12 from the vertical column and eject same onto the chute 39.

FIGURE 6 shows a cutaway view of the double spiral drive shaft 46 onwhich is mounted the moving ejector 42, both of which provide themechanism used to eject stock from the bin compartment. As will be seenby the drawing, the double spiral drive shaft 40 passes through abearing 50. The bearing has a projecting pin 52 (FIG- URE 7) on itsinner surface which fits in the grooves on the shaft and causes thecarriage to move to and fro as the shaft revolves. When the ejector 42moves to the front end of the drive shaft 40, the pin 52 in the bearing50 follows the contour of the reverse spiral groove on the shaft andautomatically reverses the direction of travel of the carriage whichthen travels in a backward manner until the projection 44 on thecarriage 42 depresses the button on the microswitch 46 thereby breakingthe flow of electrical current to the motor which stops the ejectionmechanism until the switch is again depressed. An alternate type ofejection mechanism can be provided by use of a single spiral shaft whichis connected, either directly or through the use of gears or pulleys, toa reversible motor. Thus, when the movable carriage reaches apredetermined position on the drive shaft, the direction of rotation ofthe motor would be reversed thereby causing the carriage to reverse itsdirection. Upon reaching the most backward position on the shaft, thecutoff switch would be activated, thereby stopping the ejectionmechanism. Since this type of mechanism might be more advantageous incertain applications, it is, therefore, included within the purview ofthis application.

FIGURE 7 shows the manner in which the pin 52 on the inner surface ofthe bearing 50 fits into the groove on the double spiral drive shaft 40.

FIGURE 8 shows the electrical circuit consisting of the motor 48, themomentary switch 20 which is depressed to start the ejection cycle, andthe microswitch 46 which stops the ejection cycle after a unit of stockhas been ejected from the bin.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that I have developeda novel but yet practical means for storing bin stock so that it can beautomatically selected from the storage bins and transported by conveyorto some predetermined warehouse location where it is packed forshipment. This automation of bin issues results in a drastic decrease inthe number of personnel now required to accomplish the same purposemanually. Also, stock has better protection from deterioration andpilferage. In addition, the construction of each storage bin, by beingadjustable, greatly reduces the number of sizes which would otherwise berequired to accommodate the many different sizes of bin compartmentsrequired if each size was fixed. Further, the signalling device providedto notify warehouse personnel of the need to replenish stock in the bincompartments is of considerable advantage, since adherence to its signalwill guarantee the presence of stock in a bin when needed.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the inventionhereinbefore specifically described without departing from orsacrificing the advantages of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A package-dispensing apparatus comprising an upstanding elongated binhaving a back wall and a front wall, a floor within and extending alongsaid bin and spaced above the lower ends of said back and front wallsand fixed to said back and front walls, said floor comprising aplurality of sections arranged in end-to-end spaced aligned relation,the complemental ends of adjacent sections having opposed grooves formedtherein, a first vertically-disposed partition interposed within saidbin so that it extends transversely of and between the ends of one ofsaid floor sections with the forward side contiguous to and spaced fromsaid front wall, the rearward side contiguous to said back wall, and thelower end spaced above the fioor section, a second vertically-disposedpartition interposed within said bin so that it extends transversely ofand between the ends of a floor section adjacent the said one floorsection with the forward side contiguous to and spaced from said frontwall, the rearward side contiguous to said back wall, and the lower endspaced above the last-mentioned floor section, a first means adjustablyand fixedlysecuring said first and second partitions to said back wall,a third vertically-disposed partition interposed between said first andsecond partitions so that it extends longitudinally between said firstand second partitions and is parallel to and spaced from said back andfront walls, said third partition embodying a pair of separable sectionshaving complemental one end portions overlapping and contacting eachother, the separable sections being movable relative to each other andtoward and away from said back wall to thereby form with said first andwcond partitions and said front wall an upstanding compartment in whicha vertical column of packages in superimposed stacked relation isadapted to be positioned, a second means adjustably and fixedly-securingthe separable sections of said third partition to said first and secondpartitions, there being a discharge opening formed in said front walladjacent to and spaced above the one and the adjacent floor sections, achute exteriorly of said bin and cooperatively-mounted with respect tosaid discharge opening, an ejector projecting upwardly between the oneand the adjacent floor sections and below the lower end of said thirdpartition and slidably-supported in the opposed grooves in said one andthe adjacent floor sections and movable between a position behind saidthird partition and a position adjacent the discharge opening in saidfront wall to thereby shift the lowermost package from the verticalcolumn and eject same onto to said chute, and meansoperatively-connected to said ejector for effecting the movement of saidejector between said two positions.

2. The package-dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 which includesin addition a traveling conveyor cooperatively-disposed with respect tosaid chute and receiving packages discharged from said chute.

3. The package-dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein saidfirst means includes flanges formed on the rearward side of said firstand second partitions, and bolt and nut assemblies slidably-supported inslots formed in said rear wall and fixedly-attached to said flanges, andwherein said second means includes flanges formed on the other ends ofthe pair of separable sections of said third partition, and bolt and nutassemblies slidably-supported in slots formed in said first and sec- 0ndpartitions and fixedly-attached to said flanges.

4. The package-dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 which includesin addition a vertical scale formed on said front wall complemental tosaid vertical compartment, and a replenishment switch movable to aselected set position on said scale, said switch being operable toilluminate a signal lamp responsive to the depletion of the packages inthe vertical column below the set position of said switch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,460,879 7/1923Allen 221-231 X 1,773,885 8/1930 Staley 221301 2,105,644 1/1938 Gebertet al 221- X 2,374,537 4/1945 Goldsmith 186-1.! 2,578,951 12/1951 Shaver194-10 2,611,673 9/1952 Riise 221116 2,634,185 4/1953 Wilder 2211292,834,510 5/1958 Cenotti 22179 3,074,593 1/1963 Krakauer et al 22113FOREIGN PATENTS 26,226 6/ 1920 Denmark.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. KENNETH B. LEIMER, Examiner.

1. A PACKAGE-DISPENSING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING ELONGATED BINHAVING A BACK WALL AND A FRONT WALL, A FLOOR WITHIN AND EXTENDING ALONGSAID BIN AND SPACED ABOVE THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID BACK AND FRONT WALLSAND FIXED TO SAID BACK AND FRONT WALLS, SAID FLOOR COMPRISING APLURALITY OF SECTIONS ARRANGED IN END-TO-END SPACED ALIGNED RELATION,THE COMPLEMENTAL ENDS OF ADJACENT SECTIONS HAVING OPPOSED GROOVES FORMEDTHEREIN, A FIRST VERTICALLY-DISPOSED PARTITION INTERPOSED WITHIN SAIDBIN SO THAT IT EXTENDS TRANSVERSELY OF AND BETWEEN THE ENDS OF ONE OFSAID FLOOR SECTIONS WITH THE FORWARD SIDE CONTIGUOUS TO AND SPACED FROMSAID FRONT WALL, THE REARWARD SIDE CONTIGUOUS TO SAID BACK WALL, AND THELOWER END SPACED ABOVE THE FLOOR SECTION, A SECOND VERTICALLY-DISPOSEDPARTITION INTERPOSED WITHIN SAID BIN SO THAT IT EXTENDS TRANSVERSELY OFAND BETWEEN THE ENDS OF A FLOOR SECTION ADJACENT THE SAID ONE FLOORSECTION WITH THE FORWARD SIDE CONTIGUOUS TO AND SPACED FROM SAID FRONTWALL, THE REARWARD SIDE CONTIGUOUS TO SAID BACK WALL, AND THE LOWER ENDSPACED ABOVE THE LAST-MENTIONED FLOOR SECTION, A FIRST MEANS ADJUSTABLYAND FIXEDLYSECURING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PARTITIONS TO SAID BACK WALL,A THIRD VERTICALLY-DISPOSED PARTITION INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST ANDSECOND PARTITIONS SO THAT IT EXTENDS LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAID FIRSTAND SECOND PARTITIONS AND IS PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM SAID BACK ANDFRONT WALLS, SAID THIRD PARTITION EMBODYING A PAIR OF SEPARABLE SECTIONSHAVING COMPLEMENTAL ONE END PORTIONS OVERLAPPING AND CONTACTING EACHOTHER, THE SEPARABLE SECTIONS BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER ANDTOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID BACK WALL TO THEREBY FORM WITH SAID FIRST ANDSECOND PARTITIONS AND SAID FRONT WALL AN UPSTANDING COMPARTMENT IN WHICHA VERTICAL COLUMN OF PACKAGES IN SUPERIMPOSED STACKED RELATION ISADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED, A SECOND MEANS ADJUSTABLY AND FIXEDLY-SECURINGTHE SEPARABLE SECTIONS OF SAID THIRD PARTITION TO SAID FIRST AND SECONDPARTITIONS, THERE BEING A DISCHARGE OPENING FORMED IN SAID FRONT WALLADJACENT TO AND SPACED ABOVE THE ONE AND THE ADJACENT FLOOR SECTIONS, ACHUTE EXTERIORLY OF SAID BIN AND COOPERATIVELY-MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TOSAID DISCHARGE OPENING, AN EJECTOR PROJECTING UPWARDLY BETWEEN THE ONEAND THE ADJACENT FLOOR SECTIONS AND BELOW THE LOWER END OF SAID THIRDPARTITION AND SLIDABLY-SUPPORTED IN THE OPPOSED GROOVES IN SAID ONE ANDTHE ADJACENT FLOOR SECTIONS AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A POSITION BEHIND SAIDTHIRD PARTITION AND A POSITION ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE OPENING IN SAIDFRONT WALL TO THEREBY SHIFT THE LOWERMOST PACKAGE FROM THE VERTICALCOLUMN AND EJECT SAME ONTO TO SAID CHUTE, AND MEANSOPERATIVELY-CONNECTED TO SAID EJECTOR FOR EFFECTING THE MOVEMENT OF SAIDEJECTOR BETWEEN SAID TWO POSITIONS.